Rotary internal-combustion engine.



P. L. COLE.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.20. I915.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

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g nve'ntoz Frank L .COI.e

F. L. COLE.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTON ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20. I915- Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

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gmntowj Frank- L. (Cale F. L. COLE.

ROTARY RNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION men AUG.20. I9I5- 1,240,941 1 Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

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ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20. 1915-.

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attozmg t me FRANK L. COLE, OF LA. FAYETTE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 121%.

Application filed. August 20, 1915. Serial No. 46,451.

and operation.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an end View of the invention showing a portion thereof in section;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the opposite end of the engine; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section taken through the engine; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the engine.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, the reference character 1 designates the base of the engine, and 2 the casing thereof which is circular in cross-section.

As shown in Fig. 4, the casing comprises a circular member or disk 3 which is provided with an annular flange 4 and secured to the outer edge of said annular flange is a plate or head 5. One edge of the annular flange 4 is beveled as at 6, and the plate or 'head 5 is also provided with a beveled portion 7 which is adapted to engage the beveled portion 6 of the annular flange 4. By reason of the beveled faces 6 and 7 engaging each other, a comparatively small space 8 is provided, and in said space is placed a packing in the form of a copper wire or strip 9.

As shown in Fig. 3, the inner face of the disk 3 is provided with a plurality of radial grooves 10 and 11, and connecting each of.

the grooves 10 with one of the grooves 11, is a packing member 13 which may be composed of any desired metal suitable for the purpose. The plate or head 5 is also provided with similar grooves, and as shown in Fig. 4 the packing strip 13 also lies within the grooves in the plate or head 5.

The disk 3 and the plate or head 5 are provided with alined central openings 14 and 15, and mounted in said openings 14 and 15 is a shaft jects beyond the casing as at 15.

such that it terminates primary object to pro 16, one end of which pro-- Keyed to the shaft 16 by means of the key 15' is a' rotating piston 16, being provided on its periphery at diametrically opposite points with shoulders 17, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The shoulders 17 are formed by cutting out'the periphery of the piston as at 18, the angle of the cutout portion being short of the shoulder 17 directly therebehind.

At equidistantly spaced intervals around the. casing, a plurality of housings 19 are provided, and slidably mounted in each of said housings 19 is a gate valve 20 the outer portion of which is provided with a head 21, and mounted between the head 21 and the end of the housing 19 is a coil spring 22 which at all times tends to force the gate inwardly into engagement with the periphery of the rotary piston. As shown in Fig. 3,

the housings are removably secured to the casing by means of their screw-threaded engagement therewith as at 23.

On'one end the casing is provided at equidistantly spaced intervals with a plurality with the interior of the casing by means of aport 34. The above mentioned valves 29,

and 30 open from the cylinders 26 and 27 into the space 33 under the influence of the pistons 35 which work in said cylinder chambers 26 and 27.

Connected to each of the pistons 35 are piston rods 36, the piston rods 36 which are connected to the pistons in the cylinders 26 being connected to a cam 37 and the piston rods connected to the pistons in the cylinders 27 being connected at their opposite end to an oppositely disposed cam 38.

Leading from a suitable gas supply is a pipe 40 which is provided with oppositely disposed branches 41 and 42 which lead to two of the chambers 26-, and projecting from each of the branches 41 and 42 are branches 43 and 44 which project to the other two chambers 26.

said piston iii) The supply pipe 40 has an extension 45 from which branches the pipes 464748 and 49 each of which leads to one of th chambers 27 to supply the gas thereto.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the piston 35 has taken in a charge of gas into the chamber 27, and as the rotary piston 16 continues to rotate, the cam 38 forces the piston 35 upwardly forcing the charge of gas through the valve 30 into the. chamber During this operation, a similar operation is carried on in the chamber 26 diametrically opposite the chamber 27.

When the shoulders 17 pass two oppositely disposed housings 19, the gate'valves 20 carried therein under the influence of their springs 22 are forced into engagement with the periphery of the piston 16 and provide chambers 50 which are adapted to receive the charges from the chambers 33 through the medium of the ports 34, which have been uncovered. by the passage of the pistons.

By means of a timing mechanism which will be hereinafter described and the sparkv plugs 55, the charges within the chambers 50 are exploded and the expansion of the gases operate against the shoulders 17 to, drive the piston.

Dead gases are exhausted from the chambers 50 by means of the ports 70 whichthrough the medium of the pipes 71 connect the chambers 50 with the exhaust pipe 72.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides an internal combustion engine of the rotary type in .which there are obtained eight explosions 011 every revolution of the piston, but by closing the valve in the extension 45, there will be but four explosions to the revolution which will be sufficient when a comparatively small amount of power is desired.

As shown in Fig. 2, the timer comprises an annular ring 60 of insulating material,

and arranged around the circumference thereof are contact points 61, and rotatably mounted in the annular ring 60 is a collar 62, and pivoted to said collar 62 as at 63 are arms 64 the free end of each of which carries a roller 65 for engagement with the contact points 61 to complete the circuit to the spark plugs 55. V

The collar 62 also carries projecting arms 67-67 and connected at one end thereto are coil springs 68 which maintain the rollers 65 in engagement with thevannular rin 60.

When the cylinders 27 are cut out it is only necessary to use four sparks to the revolution, and to accomplish this, the annular ring has pivoted thereon a rocking lever 80 which is operated by a rod 81, and when rocked upon its pivot said lever 80 engages one of the arms 64 forwardly of its pivot to move its roller out of engagement with the annular ring thus givingbut four explosions to the revolution.

What is claimed is:

A gas engine comprising a casing, a piston rotatably mounted in the casing, a pluralitypf. shoulders formed in the periphery ofsaid piston, a. plurality of sllding elements adapted to engage the piston behind the shoulders to form explosion chambers, means for maintaining the sliding elements in engagement .with the rotary piston, a plurality of pumping cylinders arranged in pairs and communicating with the explosion chambers by means of ports through the end of the casing, means for rendering one of the. cylinders in each of the pairs of pumping cylinders inoperative, and means for explodinga charge of gas supplied to the explosion chambers by the pumping cylinders.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

FRANK L. COLE. Witnesses:

FRANK L. COLE, M. F. MILLS. 

